In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus faber Vox is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Stradivari is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Vox and Sonus faber Stradivari first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Vox | Sonus faber Stradivari |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 4-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" Paper | 2 x 10" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-35k Hz | 25-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 100-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 37.00kg / 81.4lbs | 81.50kg / 179.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12-3/8" x 32-15/16" x 15-3/16"
315.0 x 836.0 x 385.0mm | 54-1/8" x 28-1/8" x 16-7/8"
1374.0 x 715.0 x 428.0mm |
|---|
Vox and Stradivari are members of Sonus faber's Homage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Sonus faber Homage Series
History
What size room are the Sonus faber Vox and Sonus faber Stradivari speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Sonus faber Vox |
Sonus faber Stradivari |
| Near-field |
Good |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Good |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Vox is a 3-way design whereas the Stradivari is a 4-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Sonus faber VoxSonus faber Stradivari
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Sonus faber Vox |
Sonus faber Stradivari |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
4-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
2 x 10-inch
|
Vox features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 7" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280, 2100 Hz. On the other hand, the Stradivari features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 10" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160, 220, 2200 Hz.
Frequency Response
Vox has a frequency range of 40-35k Hz whereas Stradivari has a frequency range of 25-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Stradivari can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Vox's min frequency of 40Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Vox and Stradivari have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Vox sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Stradivari's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Sonus faber Stradivari a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus faber Vox, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Vox and the Vox can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Stradivari can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Vox has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 300 watts less than the Stradivari.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Vox and Stradivari features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Sonus faber Vox's and Sonus faber Stradivari's external dimensions. Sonus faber Vox has external dimensions of 315.0 x 836.0 x 385.0mm (12-3/8 x 32-15/16 x 15-3/16inch) whereas Sonus faber Stradivari has external dimensions of 1374.0 x 715.0 x 428.0mm (54-1/8 x 28-1/8 x 16-7/8inch).
Sonus faber Vox is 1059mm shorter and 43mm less deeper than Sonus faber Stradivari but it is also 121mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Near-identical footprints. Sonus faber Stradivari is 43mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Sonus faber Stradivari is 1059mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Sonus faber Vox is approximately 3218.6cm2 / 498.9inch2 and base area of the Sonus faber Stradivari is approximately 3060.2cm2 / 474.3inch2. The Vox requires 5% more surface area than the Stradivari which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.